Read: How Lagos is setting the pace on Police Brutality and Human Rights.

Lagos state house of assembly passed a bill banning the media parading of suspects, police arrests without warrants and arresting family members in lieu of suspects on July 5, 2021 and the bill was assented by the Governor on the 16th of August, 2021.

The bill, which was passed under the leadership of Mudashiru Obasa (Agege 1), the speaker of the house is an amendment of the Lagos State Criminal Justice Law.

The deputy speaker of the house, Wasiu Eshilokun-Sanni (Lagos Island 1), presided over the Monday sitting that saw to the passage of the bill.

Already assented by the state governor, the bill will stop the police from parading suspects before the media.

According to section 9(a) of the newly passed bill, “as from the commencement of this law, the police shall refrain from parading any suspect before the media.”

Parade of suspects before the media in Nigeria has always been a point of debate.

Several lawyers, human right activists and civil society organisations have called for its end saying it does not protect the human rights of suspects.

Femi Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and a human rights activist sued the police, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Attorney-General of Federation over media parade of suspects.

Mr Falana, who approached a Federal High Court in Abuja in suit FHC/ABJ/CS/519/19 said pre-trial media parade of criminal suspects by security and anti-corruption agencies is illegal and unconstitutional.

The lawyer said the act is a violation of Section 36(5) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as Amended, Article 7 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, (Cap A9) Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004.

Similarly, Mr Falana, while speaking at a conference on the enforcement of the Administration of Criminal Justice Law said only the poor and the less privileged are paraded before the media, with rich suspects treated with dignity and respect.

“You don’t parade the big men; you don’t parade politically exposed persons. You only parade the poor,” he said.

The bill In addition to stopping the parade of suspect before the media, the bill also prohibits arrests in lieu in criminal matters.

It states that suspects should be accorded humane treatment, with the right to dignity of person and not be subjected to any form of torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment.

It also stipulates that the only condition where the police can arrest without warrant is if a person is “reasonably suspected to unlawfully be in possession of firearms or other such dangerous instruments.”

The bill adds that arrested persons “shall be given reasonable facilities for obtaining legal advice, bail or making arrangements for defence or release.”

Following the passage of the bill by the House on Monday, the same was transferred to the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for assent.

Meanwhile, the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu is yet to respond to PREMIUM TIMES’ inquiry on the position of the police on the bill.

Muyiwa Adejobi, the police spokesperson told PREMIUM TIMES he is not aware of the bill.

“I’m not aware of it, I’m not in the know,” he responded. In a recent parade by the Lagos state police, the suspects were paraded with their faces facing the wall and only their backs facing the camera. This is seen as a ploy to circumvent the new law.

https://www.premiumtimesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/471817-lagos-assembly-passes-bill-stopping-parade-of-suspects.html

Stop wetin?? Na now una go see parading.

What about passing a bill to stop these men in black from arresting innocent citizens and tagging them criminals, just so the public will feel like they working.

Set of lawless people we bestowed the power to maintain law..

That's good development, hope other state follow the suit.

A step in the right direction

.

H

Boni44:
Call baba and be free

TELL BABA TO FREE HIMSELF FROM POVERTY FIRST

Boni44:
Call baba and be free

Mtchewww

Make I call baba and kill a goat because of ordinary 2009 or so ES350.

If that killing of ram lead to that guy buying a 2021 LS500 or 2021 S600 Maybach or 2021 S65 AMG or 2021 BMW M7 or 2021 Audi A8 I 4 call the baba... I can't be calling baba because of 2008 ES350

I love this. It should be replicated nationwide. Useless Nigeria police

This should not be done only in Lagos

The police would frustrate this very move by the lawmakers..
The would refuse to comply and nothing will happen.

Illegal parade,arrest without warrant among others is were the police generate massive cash out from their victims..

.

This is actually a good development

..

Very good law. We also need a law that compulsorily mandates police to notify or allow a detained suspect to notify their families on phone call within 1 hour after arrest. It should be illegal for police to detain any suspect without nobody knowing the person is in police custody, otherwise that is equivalent to kidnapping. Anybody detained by police must be allowed to talk to their families or relatives to inform them of their whereabouts that they are in police custody and which station they are being detained. Any violation of this law should attract immediate dismissal and imprisonment for the police violators involved. Why is there no political will by the FG to reform its police; why?

How we Wan take dey Sabi dem now?

Nice one there

I hope the Police will listen to this.

Nice one

Nawa o

OkuFaba:
Stop wetin?? Na now una go see parading.

What about passing a bill to stop these men in black from arresting innocent citizens and tagging them criminals, just so the public will feel like they working.

Set of lawless people we bestowed the power to maintain law..

You have a state of origin, take this beautiful advice to them there let them too do something. You can't all be useless in your state and only exist to criticise Lagos.

Nice one.
It should be replicated nationwide.
Security agents should wear bodycam and so on.
If we have good, strong and independent institutions through constitution amendment, most will realise that we don't need strong individuals to man these institutions. Some of these strong individuals are actually criminals, abba kyari is a case study.

Huh

Better

Tinubuadvocate:
That's good development, hope other state follow the suit.

Ok they should stop parading suspected Herdsmen & Boko Haram members? Same hypocrites will shout tomorrow that President Buhari is trying to hide their identity? Nigerian lawyers are corrupt rodents, no different from their so called political class of bandits. Evans the Billion Kidnapper even took the Federal Government to an Appeals Court, I guess it was a medical doctor that was handling the case for him? NBA association of corrupt criminals & thieves.

Hmmm

This is bad.....its will favour police the more....if police arrest you as a suspect in process of parading before media human right activists/eye witness may testify ur innocent....but when public don't know you are in police captivity.......omo OYO